SanDisk Shipping 8GB Memory Stick Micro M2 Flash Cards

They aren't quite shipping them to the public yet, instead they are shipping them to phone manufacturers and wireless network operators so they can test and try them out. Apparently they are just about only used in Sony Ericsson phones for storage of music, pics, and vids.

I suppose the idea of shipping these enormous flash cards for various phones and devices is that most media player manufacturers are hitting around the 4-8GB range in their players and they are selling like crazy. So instead of letting them take the entire market, they are just making cards to go in their mobile devices that make them comparable options.

The only downside I can see to this strategy is that people will be more likely to run down the battery in their mobile by listening to music and watching movies and then won't be able to make or receive calls. That is the one exception though, otherwise I love the trend of ever-increasing storage capacities for mobile phones. So far no price or arrival date for these 8GB cards.

SanDisk 8-GB Memory Stick Micro flash memory cards for mobile phones [via FarEastGizmos]